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Let Deepak and Oprah Teach You to Meditate!

By: Monday, February 25, 2013 Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

Let Deepak and Oprah Teach You to Meditate! | The Organic Beauty Blog

Meditation is one of the most powerful techniques you can employ to decrease stress and pain, manage anxiety and depression, increase longevity and optimum health.  Not only does it lower blood pressure and clear your head, but it can help with weight loss and motivation to exercise!

But starting to meditate can be really hard.  I’ve been working on it for years, and even I have trouble just sitting, focusing on my breath.  Luckily, there’s an easier way.  Guided meditations start you off with some thoughts, insights, or a mantra, and then lead you into a short solo meditation that is much more manageable and user-friendly for novices.  And who better to lead you down this healthy and enlightened path than everyone’s favorite gurus, Oprah and Deepak Chopra!

The 21 Day Meditation Challenge is an easy, effective, and really powerful way to start a regular meditation practice, and best of all, it’s free!  You just sign up online, and starting March 11th you’ll receive an email every morning with a short guided meditation to start your day with.  The theme for this particular challenge is Perfect Health, with inspirations, visualizations, and mantras geared toward helping you reach that perfect place of balance, well-being, and happiness that does indeed lead to optimum health.  Plus, the daily practice helps you build the habit of meditating, so you can continue your practice after the program is over.

The digital program includes:

  • Daily welcome from Oprah Winfrey
  • Daily guided meditations by Deepak Chopra
  • Inspirational messages, images, and centering thoughts
  • Sanskrit mantras and their meanings
  • Daily reflection questions with a private, online journal to save responses and additional notes
  • Mindful Moments – daily takeaways showing you how to incorporate daily lessons into your life right now

Now you have no more excuses about not being able to meditate or not having the time!  This easy to follow, 21 day challenge helps you to develop your practice with help from the experts.

Click here to sign up!

Naturally Beat Those Winter Blues!

By: Saturday, February 2, 2013 Diet and Foods, Exercise, Healthy Eating, Healthy Home, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Naturally Beat Those Winter Blues! | The Organic Beauty BlogWhether or not you actually suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it is pretty tough to not get bummed when it’s freezing and grey outside for days on end.  Our social lives take a major hit, and we are much more likely to crave getting all bundled up and cozy at home than a night on the town.  It’s harder to motivate ourselves to get to the gym, and those cravings for comfort food just don’t let up. But fear not!  With just a few daily steps, you can naturally beat the winter blues, improve your mood and energy, and keep your system on track.

  • Catch some daylight!  Especially when the days are shorter and darker, it is that much more important to get exposure to daylight.  Ideally, this would be direct light outside, but, when it’s frigid and miserable outside, getting some daylight through a window does the trick too!  Leave your blinds open at night, so the morning light can wake you up and help regulate your production of melatonin, and thereby, your sleep cycle!  Keeping a regular sleep-wake cycle is vital to staving off wintertime depression. If your bedroom doesn’t get much natural light, then stand dreamily in front of your brightest window for a couple of minutes right when you wake up!  It’s a nice little morning ritual with wonderful health benefits.
  • Exercise!  I know it’s hard to get to the gym when it’s 0 degrees outside, but it’ll pay off in terms of your motivation and energy, which will help you tons in the long run.  If it’s super gross out, just work out at home!  Don’t let the weather be an excuse to skimp on exercise!  Find a dvd that you love, and sweat it out in the warmth and comfort of your living room.  Exercise is one of the best natural antidepressants out there!
  • Take some fish oil.  Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA, are amazing for balancing mood and staving off depression.  Even if you eat fish regularly, supplement with 2-3 grams of high EPA fish oil every day.  My favorite is NOW Super EPA.. I take it every day!
  • Take vitamin D.  In the dark of winter, especially in the northern parts of this fair country, it is impossible to get enough vitamin D from sunlight.  The result is that we’re all running around completely deficient in this important nutrient!  Low levels of vitamin D can cause depression, lowered immunity, anxiety, higher stress levels, and a host of other unpleasant symptoms.  It is absolutely crucial to supplement with a high quality vitamin D during the winter months, and for many of us, year round!  Opt for at least 3000-4000 IU of sublingual vitamin D daily.  My favorite is Biotics Bio-D-Mulsion Forte.. Just two drops under your tongue in the morning and you’re good to go!
  • Load up on plant nutrients.  Plant foods are nature’s amazing natural mood-boosters, and it is super easy to eat your way to a fantastic mood even in the greyest of winters.  Whole grains like amaranth and quinoa are great for raising serotonin, which is your brain’s natural feel-good neurotransmitter.  Olive oil and other healthy fats like avocados and nuts are also wonderful natural antidepressants.  Green leafies like spinach and collards are loaded with folate, which along with other B vitamins, is vital for regulating mood.
  • Treat yourself!  Plan a fun winter getaway weekend, a spa day, a fun party, or even some nights at the theater, a concert, or the opera!  Having some exciting things to look forward to is a great way to boost your mood and break up the monotony of a long winter.

A Better Option than Airborne or Emergen-C?

By: Monday, January 28, 2013 Diet and Foods, Holistic Health, Nutrition, Wellness , , , , Permalink 8

A Better Option than Airborne or Emergen-C? | The Organic Beauty BlogI’ll admit, a big part of my flu season regimen is loading up on some extra vitamins (for the rest of my regimen, see How To Naturally Prevent the Flu).  When I get home, particularly after having been on the subway or another crowded germ-fest, the number two thing I do (after washing my hands with hot, soapy water) is to pop an effervescent immune-boosting vitamin.  It definitely does the trick (I rarely get sick), but this precaution comes with a fair amount of guilt on my end.  The drugstore standbys, Airborne and Emergen-C, come with their fair share of sub-par ingredients that I usually avoid.  So I’ve decided to take on a side by side comparison of these guys, as well as few other readily available and slightly harder to come by brands.  I was actually surprised to find that those drugstore standbys are the weaker of the 5 brands I found!  So without further ado, behold…

The Effervescent Immunity-Boost Showdown!

Scoring based on the following factors, which are each worth a maximum of 5 points:  

  1. Comprehensive vitamin and mineral content (CVM)

  2. Immune-boosting herbal additions (H)

  3. Quality of ingredients (Q)

  4. Calorie and sugar content (CS)

  5. Value (V)

Continue Reading…

One Minute Meditation for Those Who Think They Can’t!

By: Tuesday, January 8, 2013 Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

One Minute Meditation for Those Who Think They Can’t! | The Organic Beauty Blog

Is not having enough time your big excuse for why you can’t meditate?  How about not being able to quiet your mind?  Well guess what?  Meditation problem: solved!  You can get so many of the benefits of a regular meditation practice from just 1 minute a day of breathing.  Just breathing!  I think a big part of the anxiety people have around meditation is that it is this big hard thing that takes years to master.  When you stop thinking about it as Meditation with a capital M, and start thinking of it just as sitting quietly and breathing with intention, so much of that anxiety and aversion goes away!  Below, you’ll find a sequence of two types of breathing that you can do in conjunction with one another for just one minute… Or extend the meditation for as long as you want.  Harnessing the powerful Bhastrika breath described below is all you need to bring your attention back to your breath when your mind starts to wander.  And it’s really as simple as that!

Sit comfortably, upright in your chair, with your hands in your lap. 

Start by breathing for about 30 seconds using a Bhastrika or bellows breath:  Breathe deep through your nose, in and out, using all five lobes of your lungs like a big bellows. Use your lungs in and out as much as you can, only in and only out through your nose. You do that for about 30 seconds.  Our upper lungs have stress receptors that get activated when our breath is shallow, which is how most of us breath throughout the day.  When we use our lower lungs, like in bhastrika, we activate calm receptors that soothe our nervous system.

Next, breathe for the next 30 seconds doing an Ujjayi breath: This is kind of the classic yoga breath where you actually do a snoring or ocean sound through your nose.  Constrict your stomach muscles and force that snoring sound out through your nose. You do that for about 30 seconds.  You can repeat this one-minute sequence as many times as you like.  Do bellows breath as deep in and as deep out as you can for 30 seconds and follow this with 30 seconds of silence breathing through an ujjayi or ocean breath.

Extended Meditation: If you would like to meditate longer, you can start by doing Bhastrika breath for 30 seconds.Then use Ujjayi breath and sit quietly until you start thinking again.  When you feel thoughts resurfacing do Bhastrika for 10-20 seconds to quiet your mind. Sit quietly again using Ujjayi breath until thoughts arise and follow once again with Bhastrika for 10-20 seconds. Follow this cycle until you feel you are done meditating.

via Meditation: One Minute to a Quiet Mind.

Mayan Purification for the New Year

By: Saturday, December 29, 2012 Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0
Mayan Temezcal

Mayan Temezcal

My beloved hubby and I recently got back from a super romantic vacay in the Riviera Maya, where among lots of fun tropical activities like biking, snorkeling and sushi-making, we got to experience a traditional temezcal ceremony, which is an ancient Mayan sweat lodge ritual led by a shaman.  During the ceremony, we were led into a small dome made of volcanic rock and cement, with 8 other people, where in pitch black darkness, a shaman led us through four “doors” of consciousness and self-discovery, each corresponding to higher and higher temperature heat radiating from the red hot volcanic rock steaming in the center of the dome. I’ll be honest, it was a pretty intense experience, and on more than one occasion, I found myself plotting my escape route.  But despite those moments of sheer panic, I pulled through, and came out feeling, in a sense, a rebirth.

Getting purified by frankincense pre-Temezcal.

Getting purified by frankincense pre-Temezcal.

Our shaman spoke of a few things which really resonated with me, and I want to share them with you as we all move into the New Year. The first was in reference to the Mayan calendar and all this 2012 business (ps: the world didn’t end!  Yay!).  He explained that the Mayan calendar and the significance placed on December 21, was never meant to imply the end of the world, but rather, the end of a spiritual era.  The new era that we have moved into is one of spiritual enlightenment and rebirth.  I know it’s hard to envision that this era of greater human enlightenment began with shootings, fiscal instability, violence and grave human rights violations across the globe.  But I do think that if we really take the time to catch this moment and let it resonate with us, then all this turbulence is just the fire that we can rise from, stronger… reborn.

Interior of the Temezcal

Interior of the Temezcal

The temezcal itself is built to symbolize a womb.  It is dark, hot, protective.  As we experienced the intense physical heat and emotions that vacillated between panic, fear, calm, and euphoria, we really did go through a rebirth of sorts.  We confronted what we fear most, what we’re avoiding in our lives, and what we would most like to change about ourselves and our daily existence.  For me, I confronted my own fears of pushing myself, leaving my comfort zone.  I envisioned a different reality, well within my reach, where I exist not ruled by these self-imposed limitations.  I exited that dark, hot womb a different person than I entered.

So as we all move into 2013 and this new era of spiritual enlightenment, I challenge you to incorporate some elements of this emotional and spiritual rebirth into your own life. I challenge you to think about what old habits, frames of mind, and ways of being from the years before you can let go of and leave in the past.

When you’re making your New Year’s resolutions, this year, keep these things in mind.  Think big!  Making the annual resolutions of hitting the gym more often and eating more greens is thinking really small.  Instead of making 10 small-scale resolutions you know you won’t stick to, make one big picture, big life resolution that will actually lead to the change you are hoping to experience!  What are the real barriers that are keeping you from your goals?  What is your way of being that keeps you from making the everyday decisions that lead to greater health and happiness?

Vow to make 2013 a year of true transformation and rebirth in your life, and don’t be afraid to dream big!

Happy New Year’s, everyone!

Make November Your Self-Care Month!

By: Monday, November 12, 2012 Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

Make November Your Self-Care Month! | The Organic Beauty BlogAfter all the stress of the last few weeks, a lot of my friends and clients have been playing catch up, trying to get life back to normal. In all the hullaballoo of to-do’s and appointments, the first thing to go is almost always self-care. We invariably spend more time on work and the house and running around from thing to thing than on the one factor that will consistently give us the energy, calm, and presence of mind to get it all done! And then of course we wonder why the weight keeps packing on, or why we’re bloated and frazzled and craving all kinds of god awful, crappy foods. This cycle of craziness needs to stop!

This month, I challenge you to make self-care your NUMBER ONE PRIORITY in life. I know, I know, I can hear you already thinking of all your “but’s” — the bills! the kids! your work! Consider this, a frazzled, tired, stressed out you makes a much worse parent, provider, and employee than a happy, balanced you! You OWE it to your family, your friends, your partner and your co-workers to be better, and the only way to accomplish this is to take care of number one.

Below, I’ve compiled some great resources around the blog for you to start sleeping better (and by better, I mean a full 8-9 hours every single night!!), minimizing stress, and simplifying your life. The less clutter you have in your brain and your environment, the better!

I’ll let you in on a little secret… Self-care is not a luxury only afforded to New Jersey housewives, trust fund kids, and actors. It is a fundamental need that all of us have, as vital to our health and longevity as water, and air. No, you won’t immediately drop dead if you haven’t had some down time, a good night’s sleep, and a yoga class, but the effects of consistently skimping on the lifestyle choices that help you feel calm, relaxed and taken care of add up! Stress and consistent lack of sleep have been identified as among the top contributing factors to higher risk of cancer, inflammatory disorders, hormonal imbalance (including infertility!), premature aging, and a slew of other unpleasant things. So if being happier and more balanced isn’t enough motivation for you, hopefully that will be.

So let this month be THE month. The month you get your act together and start taking care of that phenomenal and complicated machine that is your body. Below, post your favorite ways to take care of yourself, and publicly state your goals and intentions for increasing these activities in your life, even if it means cutting out something that isn’t serving you. And as always, please be in touch if I can support you in any way!

Check out:

How to Sleep Better, Naturally!

8 Ways to De-Stress and Simplify Your Life

Less Stress and More Energy Through Breath!

8 Ways to Simplify and De-Stress Your Life

By: Monday, November 12, 2012 Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

8 Ways to Simplify and De-Stress Your Life | The Organic Beauty Blog

It is virtually impossible to prioritize your health, wellbeing, and happiness when your days are filled to the brim with excessive clutter, both physical and emotional.  Taking some steps to simplify your life will do wonders for your state of mind, productivity, and balance, and will allow you to better fill your plate (so to speak) with things that make you happy, healthy, and taken care of!

1.  Say NO!  The biggest mistake overworked, overburdened people make is saying yes to too many things.  Social engagements, play dates, work assignments, favors, the list goes on and on.  We’re all afraid that if we admit that our plate might be a little full, it makes us some sort of colossal failure.  Well, newsflash!  Taking on too much means the things you are doing aren’t getting your full attention, which significantly lowers the quality of your engagement — with your friends, your family, your work, everything!  So stop being afraid to say no.  Pick what really matters to say yes to, and get a raincheck on the rest!

2.  Make your bed.   Guess what?  Momma was right on that one (I know, it kills to admit it!)…  The simple step of making yourbed every morning starts your day off with a little more order, a little less clutter, and a little more mental space for productivity.  Our physical environment is a reflection of our mental and emotional environment, a phenomenon that goes both ways.  Having just a little more neatness in your physical space will contribute to more calm and balance everywhere else… And it literally takes but a minute!

3.  Reclaim your inbox.  Yes, I know it is super duper important that you not miss out on any of the eight billion flash sale sites that you’re signed up for, and that getting newsletters from every single store, travel site, or gallery you’ve ever visited is absolutely crucial to your feeling in-the-know in life, but all that is really just contributing to your feeling of overwhelm and stress.  When you open your inbox every morning to a barrage of (let’s be honest) totally unnecessary crap that you need to sort through to get to the one email from your friend about her upcoming birthday party, your day is simply not getting off to a great start.  Not only is this is an enormous waste of your precious time, but it also gives you the illusion that you are a lot more stressed/busy/overworked/overwhelmed than you really are!  They’re just emails!  They’re not even important!  So go through your inbox and unsubscribe to absolutely everything but the most important, life-affirming, happiness-making content (like my newsletter! Which you can sign up for right over there —–>), or make good use of the Hotmail or Yahoo account from the 8th grade, and change all of your commercial correspondence to be delivered there.  That way, you can check it once a week, or whenever you really feel like a Gilt sale will boost your spirits, and pretend that whole mess doesn’t even exist the rest of the time.

4.  8 Ways to Simplify and De-Stress Your Life | The Organic Beauty BlogQuit multi-tasking!  Ok, I could hear the collective gasp from everyone reading this.  “But Natasha!  I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life cultivating the skill of reading emails, listening to music, talking to my mother, eating lunch, and finishing my quarterly report all at once!  It’s a defining aspect of my amazing character!”  Yes, I say to you… But how well has that worked out for you so far?  Do you feel like your work, your relationships, and your self-care are all getting the attention they deserve?  Or is everything perpetually getting about 30% of your headspace?  I’ve gotta say, multi-tasking is probably the most harmful and counterproductive trend of the last two decades, and it’s time we put it to rest.  Truly successful, productive, balanced people do NOT multi-task!  They dedicate themselves fully to one task at a time, whether than be work, talking to a friend, eating a meal, or watching The Big Bang Theory.  This allows you to not only get more done (like, really done, not half-assed done), but it also allows to you enjoy what you are doing so much more.  Work on chunking your time into specific task-oriented blocks.  Carve out time for answering emails, calling your mom, eating lunch, relaxing, reading, and exercise and don’t let any of those activities overlap!  I promise you, after a week or two of living this way, your cortisol levels will go down, and your seratonin levels will go up.  Hell, you may even lose a pound or two, or get a promotion!  Everything that you do will be done infinitely better, and more importantly, you’ll feel better doing it!

5.  Write down the five things in the world that are most important to you.  This simple step will allow you to refocus your time and energy on what really matters, and let what really isn’t worth your time fall by the wayside.  Keep your list somewhere handy and read it at least once a day.  Have you done something to benefit, support, or move towards a goal related to the things on your list that day?  If not, schedule it in.  It is way too easy to waste our lives focusing on the minutia of the day-to-day, while ignoring what matters most. But luckily, it is totally up to you whether or not you live this way!  Take control of your life today.

6.  Pencil yourself in.  When you’re looking ahead at your calendar, make sure you have some you-time scheduled in every single day.  This might mean a 1 hour yoga class, or a 10 minute walk in the sun, and anything in between.  Whatever it is, make it something you enjoy that leaves you feeling more revitalized and happy.  Every day.  When you start making yourself a priority, even on such a small scale, it becomes a whole hell of a lot easier to stay in control on your time and your emotions!

7.  Delegate.  This one can be the hardest to do, but yields the highest pay off.  Allow me to let you in on a little secret… You can’t do it all.  This isn’t a criticism, it is simply a fact.  You cannot stay on top of every single little detail in your life and the lives of your family members and expect to stay sane.  It’s just not possible!  So start delegating.  Pick 3-5 of your least favorite tasks that you consistently need to accomplish and delegate them to someone else.  Hate cleaning your house?  Get a housecleaner!  Even once every other week, for $75-$100, having someone get your home into sparkling clean condition is SO completely worth it!  Can’t stand administrative tasks?  Get an assistant, or better yet, hire an intern!  There are so many smart young things out there just dying to get experience doing exactly what you do for very little money, and sometimes just the cost of lunch!  Ask your spouse to wash the dishes or take care of laundry, ask your mom to take the kids to their dentist appointments.  It’s so easy to forget that the people in your life love you and want to help you stay sane and happy!  Whatever it is, figure out who can help you get it done.

8.  8 Ways to Simplify and De-Stress Your Life 3 | The Organic Beauty BlogMake smarter to-do lists.  Once a week, write down everything you need to get done that week (of course, after having SAID NO, DELEGATED, and WRITTEN DOWN WHAT’S IMPORTANT).  Assign yourself 3-5 specific tasks for each day of the week, no more.  If you can’t fit all your weekly to-do’s into 3-5 tasks per day, you need to go back and read the list above again.  Say no, delegate, write down what’s really important, and cross some stuff off that weekly list.  3-5 tasks per day is really all you can commit yourself to accomplishing well, while still leaving yourself plenty of time for penciling yourself in and taking care of what’s really important.  I promise, this will change your life!

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4 Surefire Election Day Stress-Busters

By: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 Diet and Foods, Exercise, Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

Still in line to vote after an hour and a half wait, I can personally attest to the need for some serious stress relief today! Check out this post I contributed to from The Daily Zeel for some ideas!

4 Surefire Election Day Stress-Busters | The Organic Beauty Blog

After months of mudslinging politicians urging us to vote this way or that, Election Day is finally here. Off to the polls? Don’t forget to bring along these four surefire tips for relieving voter-related stress.

Yoga: Salute the Sun

If you need to relax after casting your ballot, try working off some of that nervous energy or tension with a simple yoga flow. Zeel Expert and SMARTer Bodies co-founder Melissa Gutierrez suggests something slightly rigorous, like a couple of sun salutations or, if you’re looking for a single pose, warrior 3. After holding the pose (which can create some muscle tension), Melissa recommends topping off the sequence with a few cat-cow poses to find fluidity in your movement and energy in the spine. “This little routine helps to get me to a more relaxed place,” says Melissa. “It forces me to focus and slow my breathing.”

Acupuncture: Point by Point

Endorsed by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, acupuncture may be just what you need to battle voting booth-induced anxiety. “There are specific points that help facilitate both an endorphin and serotonin (natural anti-depressants) release in the body,” explains licensed acupuncturist and Zeel Expert Bruce Mandelbaum. “The patient also is evaluated, and points are added to promote balance in the body as well. The treatments are pain-free and very relaxing. Change can often be felt within a half hour.”

Massage: What You Knead

Similar to acupuncture (only without the needles, of course!), massage therapy has the ability to balance hormone levels when your stress goes through the roof. “Massage has been known to reduce cortisol in the body and increase serotonin and dopamine levels,” confirms Zeel Expert Cory Moran, a nationally certified massage therapist. “Massage not only helps the body let go of physical issues but emotional and mental issues as well!”

Nutrition: In the Kitchen

“There are lots of foods that have a wonderful stress and anxiety-busting effect on the body and mind,” says Zeel Expert Natasha Uspensky. “In general, opting for grounding foods like whole grains, beans and root vegetables is great for staying calm, focused and firmly rooted. Foods rich in healthy fats like avocados, almonds or pistachios and omega-3′s like salmon and walnuts are also amazing for reversing the effects of stress. The combination of fat and vitamins B and E in these foods can have an almost immediate effect on a stressed out mind. They are also super stabilizing for blood sugar levels, which can be a major contributor to freak-outs when it gets low.”

In addition, Natasha touts the benefits of foods that are high in magnesium, like spinach and other leafy greens. Magnesium’s relaxing effect on the body and mind can “do wonders,” she explains.

Natasha adds: “A perfect stress-busting meal plan for a crazy day could be a bowl of grounding, fiber-rich oatmeal with some sliced bananas and a handful of nuts for breakfast; quinoa with roasted root veggies and salmon for lunch; and a creamy, calming tomato-avocado soup with rye toast for dinner.” On another note, she also cautions against raw veggies (“which although super energizing and creativity-boosting, can be too light and spacey for a stressful day”), coffee (“which can increase anxiety and trigger higher stress levels”) and sugar (“which can also increase anxiety, and lead to a blood-sugar crash later in the day”).

How to sleep better, naturally!

By: Wednesday, October 10, 2012 Diet and Foods, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

How to sleep better, naturally! | The Organic Beauty BlogIf you have trouble falling asleep at a healthy time, the culprit is often everything that’s happening in the hours leading up to bedtime.  The late evening (on weeknights) is not a time for high energy, intensive activity, doing work, or eating heavy, hard-to-digest foods.  It’s a time to naturally wind down after your day, and start to calm the body and mind.  Follow this pre-bedtime timeline to insure a great night’s sleep, and shoot for being in bed, ready for sleep no later than 11pm.  Adjust your timeline accordingly to make this happen!

  • 3.5 or more hours before bed:  Eat a light, healthy meal that is quickly and easily digestible.  Soup, a salad, or some cooked veggies work best.  Avoid anything super greasy, fatty, salty, sugary or high in protein.
  • 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed: Turn off the TV, your phone, and any other electronic devices.  These interfere with your body’s production of melatonin, and can be really stimulating for a brain trying to gear up for sleep.  An obvious no-no is doing any work, checking work emails, or anything like that before bed!
  • 45 minutes before bed: Take a hot bath and/or drink a cup of chamomile or Kava Stress Relief tea, all of which are deeply relaxing for mind and body.
  • (Optional) 30 minutes before bed:  Take an herbal sleep supplement.  If you need a little extra soporific action, opt for a natural sleep formula that combines melatonin, valerian root, GABA, hops, and L-Theanine.  My favorites are Natural Balance Herbal Slumber and Schiff Knock Out.
  • Get in bed and do this 5 minute yoga routine.  Doing some light, easy stretches before bed helps to get you out of your head, and to relax tense muscles.
  • If you’re still not ready for sleep, take out a somewhat boring book (now would be a great time to brush up on your Kafka!) and read until your eyes start closing.  Don’t read anything super exciting, engaging, or steamy (Game of Thrones and Fifty Shades of Grey are obvious no-no’s!).  And no reading on your iPad or other eReader!

Click below for my amazing, quick yoga sequence that helps to improve sleep and increase relaxation of both body and mind. Complete this routine right before going to sleep, in your bed.